


Fathers

by teagarden15



Category: A3! (Video Game)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-09
Updated: 2020-08-10
Packaged: 2021-03-06 02:01:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,549
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25805536
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/teagarden15/pseuds/teagarden15
Summary: Izumi and Guy discover that not only is Reni Guy's father, but that he also had something to do with Yukio's disappearance. Izumi doesn't take the news well.
Relationships: Izumi Tachibana/Guy
Comments: 2
Kudos: 21





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I mentioned in a previous fic that this is my crack theory. I am really curious to discover why Guy finds Reni familiar.

“Do we really need all four of us to scout out locations to take pictures for our next play’s flyer?” Tasuku asked as he, Izumi, Tsumugi, and Guy walked along Veludo Way. “And shouldn’t Omi be with us since he’ll be the one taking the pictures?” 

“Omi is busy today with a freelance photography job,” Izumi explained. “But he wanted us to pick out a good location so we could take the pictures this weekend. We need to get the flyers ready soon and Kazunari insists that we need a good location for the pictures. Kazunari and Omi gave me the specifications that the location should have, so I think between the four of us we ought to be able to find a good place.”

“Should we split up to look for a good location?” Tsumugi asked. “We could split into pairs and take pictures of places we think would work, then compare them pictures at the end of the day.”

“Why only split into pairs?” Guy asked. “It would be more efficient if all four of us searched separately.” 

“Tsumugi doesn’t know how to take pictures with his phone,” Tasuku explained. “He’s technologically impaired, so if he’s by himself, it’ll definitely be a problem.”

“Sorry,” Tsumugi apologized, looking embarrassed. 

“No, it’s fine,” Izumi assured him. “I think it would be good to be in pairs anyway so we can get another person’s opinion about a location before we bother taking pictures. Why don’t we—”

Her words were cut off by a snide voice saying, “My oh my, still trying to pretend you run a respectable theater, Tachibana? I don’t recognize one of the men with you. I suppose you’ve recruited new talent in the hope of getting more sales. Is your theater making enough money to actually pay your actors yet?”

Izumi sighed, wondering if she could get away with ignoring Reni Kamikizaka. She had no idea why he seemed to feel so threatened by her small theater, but he was one of the most unpleasant men she’d ever met. By far. 

Guy frowned at Reni, his brow furrowed. “This is the man who is the director of the God Troupe, correct?” 

Reni sneered. “Are you telling me you’ve recruited someone so ignorant of theater he doesn’t even know about the God Troupe, the largest and most successful troupe on Veludo Way? It really is a mystery how your theater stays open.”

“Since our closing nights have been consistently sold out from the moment we re-opened our doors, our fans disagree with you,” Izumi said as politely as she could. “Now if you’ll excuse us, we have work we need to be doing.” 

“Of course,” Reni said with a fake smile. “I would hate to get in the way of you and your supposed actors.” His eyes flickered to Tsumugi as he said that, causing Tsumugi to flush pink. 

“Why thank you!” Izumi said, in a forcefully cheerful voice. “I sure appreciate you being willing to get out of our way, and while I’m at it, I suppose I should also thank you for sending three of my wonderful actors my way. Without you, I wouldn’t have Taichi, Tasuku, or Tsumugi, all of whom are highly valued at the Mankai Theater, so thank you for the part you played in sending the three of them my way.” 

The fake smile dropped off Reni’s face. He turned to Guy with his nose in the air and said, “My name is Reni Kamikizaka. Remember it since it’s probably the only name of a real director you’ll hear of on all of Veludo Way.” 

“No,” Guy said slowly. “That’s . . . not your name.” 

Izumi turned to Guy and saw an odd expression on his face. It reminded her of some of the expressions he wore back when he realized he wasn’t actually a cyborg. Confused, scared, and hurt. “Guy?” she said, but his attention was focused on Reni. 

“Excuse me?” Reni said, looking Guy up and down. “How dare you make such accusations. Are you trying to claim that I’m an imposter?”

“No,” Guy said, still speaking rough and slow, as though he words were being pulled from him. Or as though they were coming out of a damaged computer speaker. “But your name is Reni Yamamoto.” He tilted his head as he stared at Reni, an expression of near pain on his face. “You used to say it was a plain name that wouldn’t allow you to stand out.” 

Reni went pale, his eyes darting back and forth as though he were looking for an escape route. “I don’t know what you’re talking about or who you think you are, but this is bordering on libel. Tachibana, you’d best tell your actor to watch his mouth.”

“Libel?” Tasuku repeated, raising his eyebrows. “Hardly. It’s common for actors to change their names in order to try to stand out more. Your own top actor did that when he moved here. Why wouldn’t a director do the same thing?” 

If Guy was wrong, Izumi was sure that Reni wouldn’t be acting like this. But how did Guy know Reni’s real name? “Guy? Do you . . . Did you know Kamikizaka? Back when you lived in Japan as a child?” Until now, she had forgotten that Guy had once said that Reni looked familiar, but he’d quickly dismissed the idea. She hadn’t thought much of it then, but maybe she should have. 

“This is ridiculous,” Reni said, giving himself a shake as though he could shake off Guy’s words. “I would never need to do something so crass as change my name to get attention. I’ve achieved my place in theater based on my talent alone. Though I suspect that talent is something that the Mankai Theater is rather poor at spotting. I am done with this ludicrous conversation.” 

He took only three steps before Guy said. “My father. Reni Yamamoto was my father.”

Reni froze, then slowly turned and stared at Guy for several silent moments. “What’s your name?” he whispered. He glanced at Izumi. “You called him Guy?” 

Guy’s face had shut down, becoming expressionless. 

“Guy?” Izumi prompted, gently taking his arm. “Are you—?” She broke off before finishing her question. Of course he wasn’t okay. This was Guy’s first time seeing the father who’d promised to get him back after his parents divorced, but had instead left him with an abusive step-father and uncaring mother who eventually gave him to the Zahran army rather than loving and caring for him. 

“My son?” Reni whispered. “Guy?” He took one step toward Guy, but Guy made no move. Reni hesitated. “Maybe . . . perhaps we could go somewhere to talk?” 

Izumi waited for Guy to say or do something, but he remained where he was, the same expressionless look on his face. 

“Guy?” Izumi said again, giving his arm a squeeze. “Do you want to talk to Kamikizaka?” 

Guy finally looked down at her, though it took a few seconds before he really seemed to see her. “I don’t see what could possibly need to be said after all these years. A man who did not need his son as a child would certainly not need his son now that he’s grown up.” 

Izumi’s heart constricted at his words, but she empathized. Their situations weren’t the same, but they’d both experienced abandonment by parents. 

“No!” Reni exclaimed, holding out one hand as though that would help his words reach Guy better. “It wasn’t like that! There was never any point when I didn’t want you. Please listen to me. If . . . if having your director and fellow actors with you will help, then bring them along, but please at least listen to what I have to say.” 

Guy glanced down at Izumi as though looking for direction. 

“It’s completely up to you,” she told him. “If you want to talk to him now with or without us, if you don’t want to talk to him at all, or if you want to seek him out after you’ve had some time to process this. We’ll support you no matter what you want to do.” 

Guy looked back at Reni. His gaze was no longer expressionless, but it was not kind. “My memories of you are faint and in the five minutes I’ve been with you, you have done nothing but insult people who are dear to me. So, I will allow you five minutes to explain yourself and no more. I suggest you make your explanation concise.” 

Reni looked at a loss for words, his gaze still desperately drinking Guy in as though Guy might disappear at any moment. He did seem to genuinely want to talk with Guy, but Izumi wasn’t sure she had it in her to drum up much sympathy for someone like Reni. 

“I—I wanted to come get you,” Reni said, his words coming slow at first, but soon speeding up. “I desperately wanted you with me, but I was a failure as an actor and didn’t have the money.” He shot Izumi a venomous look. “During that time I tried with all my might to become an actor at the Mankai Theater since it had charmed you so much. I thought that when I finally saw you again, I could make you proud by being a member of the theater you wanted me to join, but Tachibana refused to accept me. 

“Eventually I was able to turn my luck around and become a director instead. It took up all my time, but I swear you were on my mind, Guy. I wanted to make you proud with what I’d accomplished, even though I wasn’t able to make it as an actor, so I become the best director on all of Veludo Way working at the biggest and most prosperous theater company. I used my new power to break the theater company that had refused me and forced Yukio Tachibana into hiding.” 

Izumi gasped, her hand covering her mouth. Forced Yukio into hiding? Reni was saying that her father’s disappearance wasn’t Yukio’s fault? That Reni had somehow been involved in it? 

“So you used your new wealth and power to destroy the hard work of others rather than try to find your son?” Tasuku scoffed. “How can you possibly claim that Guy was on your mind? It’s actions that matter, not words. And your actions say that your hurt pride mattered more to you than your own son.” 

“It wasn’t like that!” Reni snapped, his face turning red. “If Yukio had allowed me to join the Mankai Theater, I would have been able to earn the money to see my son a year after I lost him, but instead—”

“But instead you chose to blame someone else for your lack of talent,” Tsumugi said. “Rather than doing everything within your power to try to return to your son as you promised.” 

Izumi lost track of the conversation after that. The pulse of her beating heart filled her ears, drowning out all other noise. 

Her father was gone because of Reni Kamikizaka. All these years she’d wondered what could have possibly made her father choose to leave her and her mother, to leave the theater he’d loved so much. To abandon it all. But according to Reni, he hadn’t abandoned anything. He’d been forced to leave by this terrible, small-minded, vengeful man in front of her. Izumi had spent half her teenage years and whole adulthood without a father because of Reni, not because of her father. 

The pain that always sat in her chest as a result of having to learn how to go on without a father whom she’d adored who had suddenly left without explanation exploded in her chest, magnifying by a factor of ten. 

She turned and ran.


	2. Coming Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Misumi convinces Izumi that the best thing to do is come home.

Izumi heard the others calling after her, but didn’t stop. Something inside of her couldn’t. She’d spent so long hurting over and despairing over her father’s abandonment, that learning that maybe he hadn’t abandoned her, that maybe he hadn’t chosen to leave her, was more than she could bear. It felt like if she ran far enough, ran fast enough, then she could leave the turmoil inside her behind and somehow feel whole again. 

If she had been running in an open area, Tasuku would have caught up to her without a problem, but Veludo Way was a crowded street at midday and she easily weaved through crowds that Tasuku had to push his way through. Soon, she stopped hearing anyone calling for her. 

She ran and ran, until the cement beneath her feet changed to the grass of a park and until trees sprang up around her. She realized that she was crying, sobbing, but didn’t know how to stop. Then, suddenly, a man was in front of her, gripping her arms to stop her from running and she was staring up into the concerned eyes of Misumi. 

“Director? Are you okay? Are you hurt?” he asked. 

Part of her idly thought that he was probably in the park triangle hunting, and then she collapsed in to his arms. 

He held her against his chest, trying to get answers out of her. When she didn’t respond, he stopped and rubbed her back, humming a soothing melody under his breath. 

When her sobs calmed down, he tried talking to her again. “Izumi, are you hurt?” 

She shook her head against his chest before pulling back enough to look into his eyes. “No, I—” How did she even begin to explain what had happened? Why she had run away and was so upset? 

“Let’s sit down,” he suggested, sitting so his back was against a tree and pulling Izumi with him. He spread his legs so he could still hold her close and rub her back. “It’s okay if you can’t talk yet,” he said softly. 

She blew out a shuddering breath. “I was out with Guy and some of Winter Troupe when we found out that Reni Kamikizaka is Guy’s father, and it sounds like it was Reni’s fault that my father left, that the Mankai Theater almost went bankrupt and had to shut down. I just—” More tears came, but at least she wasn’t sobbing this time. There was something incredibly soothing about sitting in Misumi’s arms with him quietly listening to her. She didn’t think she’d seen him be this still in all the two years that she’d known him, but it felt like he would gladly sit there all day with her if that was what it took for her to feel better. 

“I’ve spent so much time being upset and hurt over my father. To learn that maybe it wasn’t his fault, that maybe someone else was behind everything that happened . . . I just don’t know how to feel about it. It was too much, so I ran away.” 

Resting her head against Misumi’s chest, she closed her eyes. “But I’m worried that Guy might feel like I ran away because I’m upset at him, that I blame him for what Kamikizaka did, or for being related to Kamikizaka.” 

Misumi waited a moment before petting her hair and saying, “If you’re worried, then we should go back to the dorms and tell Guy that, okay?” 

“Okay,” she agreed quietly. Misumi helped her stand, then held her hand all the way back to the dorms. 

They entered to find Tsumugi, Tasuku, and Guy in the living room. Tsumugi and Tasuku were standing, but Guy sat on the couch, looking miserable. Izumi imagined that she didn’t look much better with her eyes red-rimmed from crying. 

“Hey,” she said softly. Relief flashed through Tasuku’s and Tsumugi’s eyes, though both their gazes seemed to catch on her holding hands with Misumi. Guy still looked miserable and wouldn’t meet her eyes. 

“Director has something she wants to tell Guy,” Misumi announced, giving her hand a squeeze before letting it go. 

Izumi went to the couch and knelt next it, taking Guy’s hand in hers since he wouldn’t meet her gaze. 

“I’m sorry that I ran off,” she apologized. “I want to make it clear that it wasn’t because of you, and if you want to have a relationship with your father, I want to support that.” 

“No!” he snapped, his eyes jumping to hers as anger flashed through them. “How could I want anything to do with such a terrible man? I’ve heard the stories of what he’s tried to do to the Mankai Company, and after hearing that he’s done even worse things, that he’s been trying to destroy this company for over a decade for the sake of his own pride just because I—” Guy cut himself off as he shook his head. “I don’t want anything to do with him.” 

“Okay,” Izumi said, giving his hand a squeeze. “Like I said earlier, we will support you no matter what you decide to do.” 

~.~

Izumi found Guy on the balcony by himself that night. They hadn’t spoken more of Reni Kamikizaka other than for Guy to say that he would tell the rest of the Mankai actors the truth when he was ready to. 

She bit her lip as she watched him stare up at the night sky. She was worried that Guy was being too rash in deciding he wanted nothing to do with his father. She knew some of what he might be feeling, and none of it was good, but family relationships weren’t something so easily dismissed. Maybe someday Guy’s relationship with his father could be repaired if they were both open to the idea. While she didn’t like Kamikizaka and certainly would be happy to never see him again, she wasn’t sure it was good for Guy to completely close himself off to the idea of speaking with his father. 

“Guy?” she said, coming up behind him. 

He turned to look at her, his eyes unreadable. Then again, Guy was usually difficult for her to read. “Yes, Director?” 

She sighed. “Feel free to tell me if I’m overstepping my bounds by saying this, but I think that you should give yourself time to think things over before you decide that you want nothing to do with Kamikizaka. I mean, maybe you might want to talk with him at least long enough to learn if there are pictures of you as a child, or other mementos from that time you might want.” Guy had held on to the talisman his father had given him long enough for Citron to get ahold of it, so it must have meant something to him. She wondered if he would throw it away now. 

Guy’s eyes darkened. “No, you’re not overstepping anything saying that, but I disagree. Reni is a greedy and underhanded man with no redeeming qualities that I can see. And Tasuku was right—Reni’s actions show that his revenge was more important to him than finding his only child. That aside,” he took a step closer to Izumi and cupped her cheek, “how could I possibly forgive what he’s done to you? How could I want a relationship with someone who harmed you of all people?” 

“What do you mean me of all people?” she asked. 

“You have done so much for me. You gave me a home when I had nowhere to go. You trusted me to be in your plays even when I didn’t know how to show emotions. You . . . never mocked me for believing the Zahran military lies that I was a cyborg. You are precious to me.” 

His gaze went to her lips, a conflicted look in his eyes. 

“If you change your mind,” she said slowly, “I want you to know that it’s okay. I don’t want you to feel like you can’t have a relationship with your father because of me. If you don’t want to have a relationship with him, then that’s okay, but if part of you decides you want to talk with him someday, I don’t want to be the reason you feel you can’t, okay?” 

He shook his head and his voice was low when he spoke. “Don’t you understand that I can’t think of him while separating my feelings for you? That I can’t forgive him for causing you pain? Izumi, I—” His gaze went to her lips again and then he was kissing her. He knew he should stop. Now wasn’t the time for this and neither of them were in the right place emotionally for this, but instead of pulling away he found himself pulling Izumi closer. 

Her lips were so soft and she fit so perfectly in his arms. Slowly, her forced himself to pull back. She blinked up at him, her gaze surprised and her cheeks flushed. 

“I’m sorry for not holding back,” he apologized. “I know that something like this would make things more complicated right now. It’s fine if you choose to ignore what just happened, but please don’t bring up my father again. You mean more to me then a relationship with him ever could.” 

“Okay,” she agreed. “I won’t bring him up again.” Though she wasn’t sure she could pretend he hadn’t kissed her and go on like normal, but if she didn’t choose to ignore it, what would she do instead?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I might do a sequel where Reni tries to lure Guy into getting closer to him by insinuating that if Guy is a guest actor for God Troupe, Reni will give him information about Yukio’s whereabouts. Let me know if that sounds interesting!


End file.
